


to have and to hold

by anditwasallpink



Series: when the going gets tough [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Aftermath of Possession, Aftermath of Torture, Aftermath of Violence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drabble, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 10:04:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21297686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anditwasallpink/pseuds/anditwasallpink
Summary: Steve loves Billy fiercely because they're lucky.  They're not supposed to be alive but they are.  Steve lets Billy guide him, follows Billy's lead even when he has flashbacks because that's what Billy needs.  It's their to have and to hold.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: when the going gets tough [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1535300
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	to have and to hold

**Author's Note:**

> I'm 9k deep into another Harringrove fic but I needed to take a break from it and remind myself that I can actually write so this was born.

There was a shadow inside of Billy.

When Steve looks at him, he sees it sometimes. He won't ever tell Billy that, even if they made a promise not to keep secrets from each other, but Steve's seen Billy cry enough times. Seen him sob in regret, guilt, sadness, confusion, hurt way too many times to tell him something that will bring those memories back. 

It's like: sometimes Steve has flashbacks and when he looks at Billy, all he sees is black veins, black eyes, and murder. 

Its like: sometimes Steve wants to curl into Billy for comfort even when he wants to run away from the shadow. 

It's like: sometimes Billy gets angry or gets behind the wheel of a car and Steve thinks, "What if that shadow is back and I don't know it? What if it never went away?" 

But then Billy will apologize or cry and Steve sees him, sees Billy. Not the shadow. And Steve remembers that Billy was taken, was possessed by a shadow who forced him to do awful things. Who left Billy in such bad shape after it died that Billy didn't talk, didn't eat, didn't move for months. Steve remembers the tube that was in Billy giving him food. Remembers Billy staring so blankly at him, at Max, at everyone who came to visit. Remembers red-rimmed blue blue eyes. 

And then the words, "He's not going to make it if he doesn't fight. I don't like to hear when patient families say that their loved one is a fighter, but William is an exceptional case. He's drained. There's no fight in him. He can talk and he can move. He could eat if he wanted to. But he refuses. We've done tests to make sure there was no brain damage. Everything's come back normal. Or as normal as one could be in this unfortunate situation. I hate to say it, but we're stuck here, Chief. He's taking up necessary resources but we can't discharge him in this state," plays over and over in his head. 

Steve loves Billy fiercely because they're lucky. They're not supposed to be alive but they are. Steve lets Billy guide him, follows Billy's lead even when he has flashbacks because that's what Billy needs. It's their to have and to hold.


End file.
